Next month, a rare parade of planets will occur and here's how you can witness it.

Have you ever heard the saying, "good things only happen when the stars align"? Well, get ready because the universe has something pretty exciting in store for us. For a few evenings in February, all of the planets in our solar system will be visible at once. That's right, every single one. Even Mercury will make a special appearance in this grand planetary parade that has been going on all month and will continue into next month.

For those lucky enough to witness this rare event, you will be able to see seven planets with your own eyes. And if you look down, you might even catch a glimpse of the eighth planet. Sorry, Pluto, but ever since it was kicked out of the planets club in 2006, we don't count it anymore. But let's not dwell on that, because the six planets lining up in the night sky this month are more than enough to take our breath away.

Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars will be shining brightly in the sky, easily visible to the naked eye. And if you have a telescope, you might even spot Uranus and Neptune among the stars. It's like a reunion of the planets, coming together for a spectacular show. According to NASA, these multi-planet viewing opportunities are not extremely rare, but they don't happen every year, so it's definitely worth checking out.

To catch a glimpse of this planetary parade, simply look up in the hour after the sun sets. You'll see Venus and Saturn in the southwest, shining so brightly that you might confuse them for airplane lights. Or, if you're like me, you might just think they're stars, since we can see them most days. Meanwhile, Jupiter will be sparkling just above and the red planet, Mars, will be to the east.

If the skies are crystal clear, we might even be able to spot Uranus as a faint speck in the sky. But don't wait too long, because as the night goes on, some of the planets may dip back below the horizon. Now, you may be wondering when exactly we will see this amazing planetary alignment. Despite its name, a planetary alignment isn't when the planets get in a straight line. It's more like a gathering of planets on one side of the Sun. But don't worry, it's still a sight to behold.

According to NASA, you won't need a telescope to see the larger planets, but you might need one to spot Uranus and Neptune. These two planets will be in the same patch of sky as Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter, but they may not be bright enough to see without some help. So if you have a telescope or high-powered binoculars, you can look to the west of Jupiter for Uranus and to the upper left of Saturn and Venus for Neptune.

But wait, there's more! At the end of February, Mercury's orbit will line up perfectly with the other planets, making it a "great alignment" with all eight planets present. NASA assures us that these planetary alignments are not super rare, but they don't happen every day either. In fact, they typically only occur every few years.

Now, you may be wondering why we call this event a planetary parade instead of a planetary alignment. Well, that's because it's not really a technical term in astronomy. So feel free to call it whatever you want! NASA explains that the planets will appear to be in a line because that's just what they do as they orbit the Sun. This line, called the ecliptic, represents the plane of our solar system.

Just earlier this month, Venus was spotted by the Moon. How cool is that? And if you're wondering how to view this grand planetary parade, experts recommend heading outside about half an hour before it gets completely dark. This will give your eyes time to adjust to the darkness, and you'll have a better chance of seeing the planets. If possible, try to get away from any streetlights or other sources of artificial light. You can even use a light pollution map to find the best spot for stargazing.

To help you find the planets among the stars, you can use finder-charts or stargazing apps. And here's a great trick from the experts: close one eye, reach out your arm, and pass your thumb over a bright dot in the sky. If the speck dims as your thumb passes over it, it's a planet. But if it immediately disappears, it's just a star. So get ready to witness this spectacular planetary parade, and let's hope for clear skies so we can see all eight planets in all their glory.

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